Holly Ridge Center

Mission, Vision, Values

The mission of Holly Ridge Center is to create opportunities to empower people with disabilities to reach their fullest potential.  Our vision is to create an inclusive community where we learn, work, & play together.  Our values are Respect, Inclusion, and Compassion.  

Description

Holly Ridge Center allies with people with developmental delays and disabilities in two primary program areas: the Infant Toddler Program, providing birth to three early support services, and our Adult Employment Services Program. Holly Ridge Center has been providing its services on the Kitsap Peninsula since 1963. 

The Infant Toddler Program (ITP) is the only neurodevelopmental center in Kitsap and North Mason Counties; we provide relationship-focused early support services to families with children, from birth to three, presenting with one or more developmental delays. Holly Ridge Center provides these critical services for all children who need them, regardless of the family’s ability to pay.

Nested within ITP is our growing Autism Services. Holly Ridge Center is an Autism Center of Excellence and among the few Early Support Centers providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). As practiced at Holly Ridge Center, ABA is a play-based, child-led learning method for children diagnosed with autism. We use naturalistic, developmentally appropriate teaching strategies to help improve social communication, social engagement, and cognitive skills. Our recently created Autism Resources Navigator position is one of a few statewide, placing us on the cutting edge of Autism Spectrum Disorder support in the region.

Meet MJ! In the first three months of her life, MJ endured more challenges than most undergo in a lifetime. She was with Holly Ridge Center from four months old until her recent graduation, receiving occupational, physical, and speech therapy. 

Kathryn, MJ's mom, is clear about the difference Holly Ridge Center has made in her child's development: "I want to say that the early support has truly helped MJ; she is thriving in school and doing great. She doesn’t need Speech (Therapy) and only needs a 30-minute session once a month for Occupational Therapy (this is to ensure MJ doesn’t fall behind). The staff at the school said they truly think that MJ’s early support has impacted her development so much that she doesn’t need as many services as she would have without Holly Ridge. "   

Over 30% of kids who graduate from the Infant Toddler Program need no additional specialized services.   

The Adult Employment Services (AES) program supports competitive, integrated, person-centered employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We have built a reputation for providing quality customer service to our job-seeking clients and the community partners who employ them.   

Steven is an Adult Employment Services client employed at the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter in Port Orchard for the last five years. The Airporter has been running since 1979, taking people to and from the airport. 

“When Steven is by himself, he will take the initiative on his own to come in and ask one of us to move a bus so he can wash it. He is very proud that when he lets a bus go, those windows are clean, the floor is mopped, the seats are clean, and the bus is washed. That’s really important to Steven.  He's very much loved by everyone, and he will always be part of this family," said Lauri Smith, General Manager of the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter.

Your financial support to Holly Ridge Center will help support: 

• Critical services for individuals experiencing developmental delays and disabilities regardless of ability to pay 

• Services for adults with disabilities to develop skills and gain access to tools, preparing them for meaningful and lasting employment of their choosing. 

• Continued growth in providing more accessible services using technology for virtual appointments, telehealth, communication devices, and other assistive technology tools.   

• Innovative supplemental activities that provide families with a needed connection to the community and resources for the journey beyond Holly Ridge Center.  

More information about Holly Ridge Center and its programs can be found at www.hollyridge.org. 

Recognition

Thank you! Your generous support of Holly Ridge Center ensures all people can live to their fullest potential.